Methods and Systems for Performing Harq Ack with Scanning and Sleep in Wimax Systems

1. A method for wireless communications, comprising: monitoring a scanning or an unavailable interval of a mobile station (MS); determining if a hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement (HARQ ACK) message for a HARQ data burst will occur in the scanning or the unavailable interval of the MS; and if so, postponing retransmission of the HARQ data burst by adjusting a time expected to receive the HARQ ACK message until after the scanning or the unavailable interval.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the HARQ data burst comprises an uplink (UL) HARQ data burst.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the HARQ data burst comprises a downlink (DL) HARQ data burst.

4. A method for wireless communications, comprising: receiving a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) data burst; determining if a corresponding HARQ Acknowledgement (HARQ ACK) message for the HARQ data burst will occur in a scanning or an unavailable interval of a mobile station; if so, transmitting the HARQ ACK message during the scanning or the unavailable interval; and storing a plurality of I-Q samples from a DL sub-frame containing the HARQ ACK message during the unavailable interval.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein: receiving the HARQ data burst comprises receiving an uplink (UL) data burst; and transmitting the HARQ ACK message comprises transmitting a downlink (DL) HARQ ACK message.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein: receiving the HARQ data burst comprises receiving a downlink (DL) data burst; and transmitting the HARQ ACK message comprises transmitting an uplink (UL) HARQ ACK message.

7. The method of claim 4 , further comprising: scanning one or more neighboring base stations by the mobile station during a frame immediately subsequent to a frame in which the HARQ ACK message was transmitted.

8. The method of claim 4 , further comprising: maintaining at least a portion of a radio frequency (RF) circuit powered on during at least part of the unavailable interval.

9. A method for wireless communications, comprising: receiving a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) data burst; determining if a corresponding HARQ Acknowledgement (HARQ ACK) message for the HARQ data burst will occur in a scanning or an unavailable interval of a mobile station; if so, transmitting the HARQ ACK message during the scanning or the unavailable interval; receiving a DL sub-frame containing the HARQ ACK message during the unavailable interval; and processing the DL sub-frame after waking up from the unavailable interval.

10. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising: means for monitoring a scanning or an unavailable interval of a mobile station (MS); means for determining if a hybrid automatic repeat request Acknowledgement (HARQ ACK) message for a HARQ data burst will occur in the scanning or an unavailable interval of the MS; and means for postponing retransmission of the HARQ data burst by adjusting a time expected to receive the HARQ ACK message until after the scanning or the unavailable interval.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the HARQ data burst comprises an uplink (UL) HARQ data burst.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the HARQ data burst comprises a downlink (DL) HARQ data burst.

13. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising: means for receiving a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) data burst; means for determining if a corresponding HARQ Acknowledgement (HARQ ACK) message for the HARQ data burst will occur in a scanning or an unavailable interval of a mobile station; means for transmitting the HARQ ACK message during the scanning or the unavailable interval; and means for storing a plurality of I-Q samples from a DL sub-frame containing the HARQ ACK message during the unavailable interval.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein: the means for receiving the HARQ data burst comprises means for receiving an uplink (UL) data burst; and the means for transmitting the HARQ ACK message comprises means for transmitting a downlink (DL) HARQ ACK message.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein: the means for receiving the HARQ data burst comprises means for receiving a downlink (DL) data burst; and the means for transmitting the HARQ ACK message comprises means for transmitting an uplink (UL) HARQ ACK message.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising: means for scanning one or more neighboring base stations by the mobile station during a frame immediately subsequent to a frame in which the HARQ ACK message was transmitted.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising: means for maintaining at least a portion of a radio frequency (RF) circuit powered on during at least part of the unavailable interval.

18. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising: means for receiving a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) data burst; means for determining if a corresponding HARQ Acknowledgement (HARQ ACK) message for the HARQ data burst will occur in a scanning or an unavailable interval of a mobile station; means for transmitting the HARQ ACK message during the scanning or the unavailable interval; means for receiving a DL sub-frame containing the HARQ ACK message during the unavailable interval; and means for processing the DL sub-frame after waking up from the unavailable interval.

19. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising: logic for monitoring a scanning or an unavailable interval of a mobile station (MS); logic for determining if a hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement (HARQ ACK) message for a HARQ data burst will occur in the scanning or an unavailable interval of the MS; and logic for postponing retransmission of the HARQ data burst by adjusting a time expected to receive the HARQ ACK message until after the scanning or the unavailable interval.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the HARQ data burst comprises an uplink (UL) HARQ data burst.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the HARQ data burst comprises a downlink (DL) HARQ data burst.

22. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising: logic for receiving a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) data burst; logic for determining if a corresponding HARQ Acknowledgement (HARQ ACK) message for the HARQ data burst will occur in a scanning or an unavailable interval of a mobile station; logic for transmitting the HARQ ACK message during the scanning or the unavailable interval; and logic for storing a plurality of I-Q samples from a DL sub-frame containing the HARQ ACK message during the unavailable interval.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein: the logic for receiving the HARQ data burst comprises logic for receiving an uplink (UL) data burst; and the logic for transmitting the HARQ ACK message comprises logic for transmitting a downlink (DL) HARQ ACK message.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein: the logic for receiving the HARQ data burst comprises logic for receiving a downlink (DL) data burst; and the logic for transmitting the HARQ ACK message comprises logic for transmitting an uplink (UL) HARQ ACK message.

25. The apparatus of claim 22 , further comprising: logic for scanning one or more neighboring base stations by the mobile station during a frame immediately subsequent to a frame in which the HARQ ACK message was transmitted.

26. The apparatus of claim 22 , further comprising: logic for maintaining at least a portion of a radio frequency (RF) circuit powered on during at least part of the unavailable interval.

27. An apparatus for wireless communications, comprising: logic for receiving a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) data burst; logic for determining if a corresponding HARQ Acknowledgement (HARQ ACK) message for the HARQ data burst will occur in a scanning or an unavailable interval of a mobile station; logic for transmitting the HARQ ACK message during the scanning or the unavailable interval; logic for receiving a DL sub-frame containing the HARQ ACK message during the unavailable interval; and logic for processing the DL sub-frame after waking up from the unavailable interval.

28. A computer-program product for wireless communications, comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions being executable by one or more processors and the instructions comprising: instructions for monitoring a scanning or an unavailable interval of a mobile station (MS); instructions for determining if a hybrid automatic repeat request acknowledgement (HARQ ACK) message for a HARQ data burst will occur in the scanning or an unavailable interval of the MS; and instructions for postponing retransmission of the HARQ data burst by adjusting a time expected to receive the HARQ ACK message until after the scanning or the unavailable interval.

29. The computer-program product of claim 28 , wherein the HARQ data burst comprises an uplink (UL) HARQ data burst.

30. The computer-program product of claim 28 , wherein the HARQ data burst comprises a downlink (DL) HARQ data burst.

31. A computer-program product for wireless communications, comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions being executable by one or more processors and the instructions comprising: instructions for receiving a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) data burst; instructions for determining if a corresponding HARQ Acknowledgement (HARQ ACK) message for the HARQ data burst will occur in a scanning or an unavailable interval of a mobile station; instructions for transmitting the HARQ ACK message during the scanning or the unavailable interval; and instructions for storing a plurality of I-Q samples from a DL sub-frame containing the HARQ ACK message during the unavailable interval.

32. The computer-program product of claim 31 , wherein: the instructions for receiving the HARQ data burst comprise instructions for receiving an uplink (UL) data burst; and the instructions for transmitting the HARQ ACK message comprise instructions for transmitting a downlink (DL) HARQ ACK message.

33. The computer-program product of claim 31 , wherein: the instructions for receiving the HARQ data burst comprise instructions for receiving a downlink (DL) data burst; and the instructions for transmitting the HARQ ACK message comprise instructions for transmitting an uplink (UL) HARQ ACK message.

34. The computer-program product of claim 31 , further comprising: instructions for scanning one or more neighboring base stations by the mobile station during a frame immediately subsequent to a frame in which the HARQ ACK message was transmitted.

35. The computer-program product of claim 31 , further comprising: instructions for maintaining at least a portion of a radio frequency (RF) circuit powered on during at least part of the unavailable interval.

36. A computer-program product for wireless communications, comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions being executable by one or more processors and the instructions comprising: instructions for receiving a hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) data burst; instructions for determining if a corresponding HARQ Acknowledgement (HARQ ACK) message for the HARQ data burst will occur in a scanning or an unavailable interval of a mobile station; instructions for transmitting the HARQ ACK message during the scanning or the unavailable interval; instructions for receiving a DL sub-frame containing the HARQ ACK message during the unavailable interval; and instructions for processing the DL sub-frame after waking up from the unavailable interval.